Monday, April 26, 2010

Homemade Gnocchi

I am a gnocchi monster.It used to be that I ordered gnocchi all I could. I was always so anxious to get my plate and dig in!But then I got bad gnocchi. A lot of bad gnocchi in different restaurants, in little Italy, in random spots and in more expensive trendy restaurants, simply never got good ones anymore... I think I have had some once this year, it was good but really did not blow my mind. We do not eat out often, but do you know of good gnocchi places?

I made some and finally took a picture.I think you should just come over to my house and have dinner.

Cook your potatoes in the oven or boil them until tender. I boiled them then took all the moisture out by heating them gently on the stove. As they are still hot, press them through a sieve (or a potato ricer if you have one) into a bowl. Add the beaten egg, salt and pepper, mix with a wooden spoon, then add flour, 1/2 cup at a time to start, then little by little.

I added one cup then turned over my 'dough' on a work surface. I find that working it with your hands instead of a spoon makes for lighter, fluffier dumplings. Do not overwork! that is when the dough gets sticky. All in all, I think I used just under 1 1/2 cups of flour. You may add some grated cheese, but I like them plain. I add the cheese as I serve them - it also prevents your dough from being sticky as you are rolling it out.

Divide the dough into quarters. Dust your working surface with flour and roll out the dough with the palms of your hands into a long rope about 1-1.5 cm in diameter. Cut to desired size, around 1-1.5 cm intervals. Shape them with a fork or a gnocchi paddle (I need one!!!).

If you are boiling them right away, simply place the dumplings on a sheet of parchment. If you plan on doing these in advance, put them on a parchement lightly dusted with semolina to prevent them from sticking. Tightly wrap and keep in the fridge.

To cook, drop the dumplings in salted boiling water. When they float to the surface, they are done! It should take about 1-2 minutes.

We ate them sauteed in olive oil, garlic and spinach with a homemade tomato and basil sauce. Black olives and Asiago to top it off.

Thanks Marysol...now I have two more questions that come to mind as I peel some taters.Did you sauté the little devils right after they come out of the water, or, can you refrigerate and sauté them later?Also, have you ever tried sweet potatoes in the mix?

I love it!!! George, I have some in the fridge exactly to see if they keep!! I will try them tonight with a friend. I have to say that they have lost their golden yellow colour, just as fresh pasta would after a few days.

I usually strain them and put them directly in the hot oil so that they don't stick BUT if you are not quite ready, you can strain and put them on a parchment line baking sheet and mix them with a bit of oil to prevent from sticking.

The sweet potato I was soooo tempted to try! I had one left over on the counter, but I have other plans for it (a curry). Next time I will try though. I love sweet potato, my partner, not always so much. He is not fond of sweetness in his 'pasta'

You should try and make it with sweet potato. Divine. Just roast the sweet potatoes with garlic and thyme in the oven and bash together as the base. This looks fantastic though. I love love love gnocchi...

I cooked off half on Sunday rght after making them. Then saved the other half and put them in the fridge until Tuesday.

The Tuesday ones were not as fluffy and had lost their nice yellow glow. As I was eating them I thought that they were exactly like restaurant ones!! ah-ha! I think that restaurants make them too far in advance, that is why they don't taste so tops.

One of my faves, too! We make them every time we have left over mashed potatoes. I have also made them with sweet potatoes, even though I do not like sweetness in my pasta either, but the family loves them. I also make them out of ricotta.As far as vegan, you can make them without egg if you want to. They still come out great. Just don't over work the dough. Once it is the right consistency, I let it rest about 15 min before rolling them out. The sauteing idea is great! I especially like the idea of the spinach! I love spinach in pasta! Thanks for the post!

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This blog started out as a diary of what we ate at home on a daily basis. I cook everything from scratch, so it was nice to have a journal, a collection of all our recipes. In November 2010 opened Edgar, our tiny café.